BREAKING: Target Test Prep releases Brand New 2026 On Demand GMAT prep course

Redeem

Target Test Prep · GMAT

Choose how you want to prepare

Learn live with an expert or move at your own pace. Every option includes the complete TTP study system.

★★★★★5.0559 reviews
GMATLiveTeach 7 seats left
Chris Peckover
NEXT LIVE COHORT

Oct 13 to Jan 7, 2027

with Chris Peckover

Schedule
Tue, Thu · 8:00 to 10:00 PM ET
Included
40 live hours + 6 months of GMAT OnDemand
  • Live instruction and real-time questions
  • Class recordings and assigned practice
View class & enroll
Limited cohort · enrollment openTarget Test Prep
EALiveTeach 5 seats left
Logan Thompson
EXECUTIVE ASSESSMENT

Sep 6 to Dec 6, 2026

with Logan Thompson

Schedule
Sun · 9:30 AM to 12:30 PM ET
Included
40 hours of live online classes plus six months of access to the complete TTP EA OnDemand course.
  • 165+ EA Score Guarantee
  • 4,100+ Quant, Verbal, and Integrated Reasoning practice questions
  • 400+ hours of in-depth video lessons
  • 3,000+ step-by-step video solutions
View EA class & enroll
Limited cohort · enrollment openTarget Test Prep
GMATOnDemand Start anytime
SELF-PACED MASTERCLASS

Target Test Prep GMAT OnDemand

Complete access from day one. Study on your schedule.

715+ score guarantee
$0to start then $127/mo
  • Personalized study plan and analytics
  • Thousands of lessons and practice questions
Start free 5-day trial
Read 559 reviewsTarget Test Prep

Compare the format, schedule, and included access before enrolling. Prices and seat counts shown reflect the supplied offer details.

Absolute Values and Equalities

Expert replies
Post new topic Post Reply
Previous Topic Next Topic
Source: — Problem Solving |
User avatar
GMAT Instructor
Posts: 15539
Joined: Tue May 25, 2010 12:04 pmFollowed by: 1906 members
Location: New York, NY
Thanked: 13060 times
GMAT Score:790

by GMATGuruNY » Wed Sep 30, 2015 3:13 am
Check my post here:

https://www.beatthegmat.com/algebra-hard ... 25445.html
Private tutor exclusively for the GMAT and GRE, with over 20 years of experience.
Followed here and elsewhere by over 1900 test-takers.
I have worked with students based in the US, Australia, Taiwan, China, Tajikistan, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia -- a long list of countries.
My students have been admitted to HBS, CBS, Tuck, Yale, Stern, Fuqua -- a long list of top programs.

As a tutor, I don't simply teach you how I would approach problems.
I unlock the best way for YOU to solve problems.

For more information, please email me (Mitch Hunt) at [email protected].
Student Review #1
Student Review #2
Student Review #3
Top
Join the discussion
Log in to postLogin with Googleuse password
QUOTE IN REPLY

GMAT/MBA Expert

User avatar
Elite Legendary Member
Posts: 10392
Joined: Sun Jun 23, 2013 6:38 pmFollowed by: 511 members
Location: Palo Alto, CA
Thanked: 2867 times
GMAT Score:800

by [email protected] » Wed Sep 30, 2015 11:00 am
Hi mindful,

Sometimes the easiest way to deal with a complex-looking situation is to just 'play around' with it a bit by TESTing VALUES. You might be surprised how quickly you can deduce a pattern if you just come up with a few examples.

You're essentially asking what values of X will fit the following equation:

|X-5| = 5-X

I'm going to ask you a few questions; see how long it takes you to answer them?

1) What do you 'know' about Absolute Values? What 'end results' are possible? What 'end results' are NOT?
2) What happens when X = 5?
3) What happens when X = 6 or 7 or 8?
4) What happens when X is LESS than 5? Come up with 3 examples (one positive, one 0 and one negative).

5) After working through the above examples, what deductions have you made about X?

GMAT assassins aren't born, they're made,
Rich
Contact Rich at [email protected]
Image
Top
Join the discussion
Log in to postLogin with Googleuse password
QUOTE IN REPLY
Senior | Next Rank: 100 Posts
Posts: 52
Joined: Wed Jun 24, 2015 10:57 pmFollowed by: 1 member
Thanked: 3 times

by mindful » Tue Oct 06, 2015 3:57 am
Thank you. That's a good suggestion about taking one positive, one negative, and 0 as a number. When I took -8 as a choice, I got positive 13 on both sides.

What bothers me is that the first time I attempted it algebraically. Why didn't I get an answer using that method.

I said: |x-5| = 5 - x

There are two possibilities:

x-5 = 5 - x
so 2x = 10
x = 5


OR

x-5 = x-5

x-x = -5+5

and I didn't really know what to do next.

The answer I got then was that both sides are equal if x = 5. But as we see the real answer is whenever x< or equal to 5, we get |x-5| as 5-x.

How can I do this algebraically?

Thanks...!
Top
Join the discussion
Log in to postLogin with Googleuse password
QUOTE IN REPLY
Master | Next Rank: 500 Posts
Posts: 363
Joined: Sun Oct 17, 2010 3:24 pmFollowed by: 3 members
Thanked: 115 times

by theCEO » Tue Oct 06, 2015 3:32 pm
mindful wrote:Thank you. That's a good suggestion about taking one positive, one negative, and 0 as a number. When I took -8 as a choice, I got positive 13 on both sides.

What bothers me is that the first time I attempted it algebraically. Why didn't I get an answer using that method.

I said: |x-5| = 5 - x

There are two possibilities:

x-5 = 5 - x
so 2x = 10
x = 5


OR

x-5 = x-5

x-x = -5+5

and I didn't really know what to do next.

The answer I got then was that both sides are equal if x = 5. But as we see the real answer is whenever x< or equal to 5, we get |x-5| as 5-x.

How can I do this algebraically?

Thanks...!
algebraically
|x-5|= 5-x
|x-5|>= 0, therefore 5-x >= 0

when is 5-x >= 0?
5-x >= 0
-x >= -5
x <= 5

Thefore |x-5| equal to 5-x when x<=5
Top
Join the discussion
Log in to postLogin with Googleuse password
QUOTE IN REPLY
Senior | Next Rank: 100 Posts
Posts: 52
Joined: Wed Jun 24, 2015 10:57 pmFollowed by: 1 member
Thanked: 3 times

by mindful » Tue Oct 06, 2015 8:29 pm
Thank you, CEO. This is lovely!!! :)
Top
Join the discussion
Log in to postLogin with Googleuse password
QUOTE IN REPLY
Post new topic Post Reply
• Page 1 of 1